JPH08146850A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the exertion of impact force when a cleaning member comes in contact/uncontact with respect to an image carrier. CONSTITUTION: In the cleaning device, the cleaning member 1 is composed so as to enable coming in contact/uncontact with the image carrier 10 and obtaining the uniform pressing force at the time of being held in contact with respect to the image carrier 10, the cleaning member 1 is supported in freely turningly while energized with spring force so as to be inclined with respect to the holder 2, and the cleaning member 1 is constituted so as to gradually come in contact or uncontact from an end side, at the time of coming in contact/uncontact with respect to the image carrier 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning device used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a cleaning device for an electrophotographic copying machine or the like, when removing residual toner from an image carrier such as a photoconductor or an intermediate transfer member, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-4459. Generally, a retract mechanism for bringing the cleaning member into and out of contact with the image carrier and a self-alignment mechanism for making the pressure contact force of the cleaning member uniform have been used.

[0003]

However, in a color copying machine which requires multiple transfer, in these structures, the cleaning member operates in parallel with the image carrier and simultaneously comes into contact with and separates over the entire length. The impact force generated at this time becomes impulse-like, and there are drawbacks such as image disturbance and color shift due to speed fluctuation of the image carrier caused by the impulse force.

The present invention has been conceived in view of the above, in which an image is disturbed due to a change in speed of the image carrier due to an impulse-like impact force generated when the cleaning member comes in and out of contact with the image carrier, An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can prevent color misregistration and the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the cleaning device according to the present invention is configured so that the cleaning member can be brought into and out of contact with the image carrier and that a uniform pressure contact force can be obtained at the time of contact. In the cleaning device described above, the cleaning member is rotatably supported with respect to the holder and biased by a spring so as to be inclined with respect to the image holding member,
When the cleaning member is brought into contact with or separated from the image carrier, the cleaning member is gradually brought into pressure contact with or separated from one end of the cleaning member.

Further, the cleaning member is a cleaning blade, and the ridgeline (thickness) of the cleaning blade
The side is held obliquely to the image carrier, or the cleaning member is a cleaning blade and the mirror side of the cleaning blade is held obliquely to the image carrier.

[0007]

[Operation] When the cleaning member is separated from the image holding member, it is inclined by a spring bias against the image holding member. When the cleaning member moves toward the image holding member side by the movement of the holder, the cleaning member moves while being inclined and gradually contacts the image holding member from one side end thereof. Therefore, the impact due to the contact at this time is also mitigated like a lamp.

[0008]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a cleaning device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. Cleaning blade 1
Is bonded and fixed to the blade holder 2 to form a blade assay A. The stud 3 stands on one side of the blade assay A. The blade assay A is rotatably supported on the bracket 5 with the bush 4 as a fulcrum, and the stud 6 stands on the bracket 5 as in the blade assay A. The blade assay A and the bracket 5 are urged in the direction of the arrow by the springs 7 which are hung on the respective studs 3 and 6, and the second stud 8 standing on the bracket 5 causes the blade assay A to move against the bracket 5. That is, it is held obliquely with respect to the cleaning device 9.

When this embodiment is applied to a color copying machine, the cleaning device 9 is brought into contact with or separated from the image holding member 10 every four rotations of the image holding member 10 by a not-shown separating / attaching means. However, first, the case where the cleaning device 9 is brought into pressure contact with the image carrier 10 supported by the facing roll 11 will be described. As described above, when the cleaning device 9 is separated from the image carrier 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 4), the blade assay A is applied to the bracket 5 by the spring force, that is, the cleaning device 9 and the image. It is held obliquely with respect to the holding body 10 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning device 9 is provided with a fulcrum 12 by a separating / connecting means (not shown).
When the blade assay A starts to rotate around, the blade assay A gradually comes into pressure contact with the image carrier 10 from one end on the ridge (thickness) side 1a of the cleaning blade 1, and when a predetermined pressure contact force is reached, the image retention of the blade assay A is achieved. The reaction force against the body 10 is returned to the spring force that urges the blade assay A, and the blade assay A is uniformly pressed against and held by the image carrier 10 (see FIG. 3) to remove the residual toner on the image carrier 10. Remove.

Next, the cleaning device 9 causes the image carrier 10 to move.
The case of separating from is described. When the cleaning device 9 from which the residual toner on the image carrier 10 has been removed starts to rotate around the fulcrum 12 by the separating / contacting means (not shown), it has been pressed and held uniformly against the image carrier 10 until then. The blade assay A gradually starts to separate from the image carrier 10 from one end on the ridgeline (thickness) side 1a of the cleaning blade 1 by the spring force. When the blade assay A is completely separated from the image carrier 10, the blade assay A is held obliquely with respect to the cleaning device 9 and the image carrier 10 and returns to the original state, as described above.

In this way, the impact force when the blade assay A comes in and out of contact with the image carrier 10 is as shown in FIG. 11 as compared with the conventional case shown in FIG. Since the acceleration changes like a ramp, the speed fluctuation of the image carrier 10 becomes constant, and image disturbance, color misregistration, etc. can be prevented.

Further, as in another embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mirror surface side 1b of the cleaning blade 1 supported by the blade holder 2a is gradually brought into contact with the image carrier 10. The same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, as the biasing means of the blade assay A, a material having elasticity such as the leaf spring 13 may be used. 3a is a stud.

[0013]

According to the present invention, when the cleaning member is brought into contact with or separated from the image carrier 10, the conventional impact force shown in FIG. Is constant, and image disturbance, color misregistration, etc. can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the cleaning device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram when a cleaning member of the present invention is brought into pressure contact with an image carrier.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram when the cleaning member of the present invention is separated from the image carrier.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when the cleaning member of the present invention is brought into pressure contact with the image carrier.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view on arrow B in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating the impact force of a cleaning member of a conventional example.

FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating the impact force of the cleaning member of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Cleaning blade, 1a ... Ridge side of cleaning blade, 1b ... Mirror side of cleaning blade,
2, 2a ... Blade holder, 3, 3a, 6, 8 ... Stud, 4 ... Bushing, 5 ... Bracket, 7 ... Spring, 9 ... Cleaning device, 10 ... Image carrier, 11 ... Opposing roll, 12 ... Support point, 13 … Leaf springs.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device in which a cleaning member can be brought into and out of contact with an image carrier, and a uniform pressure contact force can be obtained at the time of contact, so that the cleaning member is rotatable with respect to a holder and the image carrier is held. It is supported by being biased by a spring so as to be inclined with respect to the body, and is gradually pressed from one end of the cleaning member when being brought into contact with or separated from the image holding body,
Alternatively, the cleaning device is characterized in that they are separated from each other. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a cleaning blade, and the ridgeline (thickness) side of the cleaning blade is held obliquely with respect to the image carrier. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a cleaning blade, and the mirror surface side of the cleaning blade is held by the image holding member.